"Every welder is needed"

Every welder is needed

SCHWEISSEN & SCHNEIDEN 2023 is in full swing. There are a lot of positive impressions for visitors and interesting conversations with exhibitors. WELDPROF^® Prof. Dr. Emil Schubert, Managing Director at ABICOR BINZEL, talks about this year's presentation at ABICOR'S booth and the prospects for young welders.

What products are you presenting to trade fair visitors at this year's SCHWEISSEN & SCHNEIDEN?

Prof. Schubert: We have divided our trade fair motto into three areas: "people, planet, progress". "People" for us are the welders - the foundation our business and everybody else's at the fair is built on. We know: There is a welder shortage, so we need to make the profession of welder more attractive again. We also have to protect the welders from fumes during welding. We put a special focus on this with our new products. For example, we developed welding torches with integrated extraction. As a result, the welder, but also everyone in the production hall, is protected. If you install a spot extraction system, this is much more effective than an extraction bonnet, because the smoke can spread out first. We are also moving in the direction of "planet", which is our second highlight at the booth. Smaller extraction units, for example, have a lower energy consumption. The bonnet has a higher energy consumption and a correspondingly high CO₂ footprint.

What about the energy requirements for welding?

We simply need energy. We take this into account at the booth with our second highlight topic "planet". A small production line is on display to highlight this topic. We cut, we weld and we do quality control. During this process, we record all the data and calculate the CO₂ footprint in real-time. Every time we weld, the electricity and gas consumption is displayed. We are noticing a lot of interest for this technology from automotive suppliers, because when they offer a component to a car manufacturer, the price and now also the CO₂ footprint have to be indicated.

What is the third highlight at your stand?

We chose the word "progress" to show how fast you can programme a weld with our cobot, the iBOT®. This is about efficiency, which helps the welder. The welder changes from a physically hard-working craftsman to a plant operator, but still has to apply his welding knowledge. He is also protected because the Cobot cells are completely enclosed. An extraction system is integrated directly at the welding torch - so there is no health hazard.

What do you tell welders who are worried about their jobs as cobots and digitalisation become more prevalent?

No welder has to fear for his job - welders are needed everywhere. According to the American Welding Society, there is a shortage of 300,000 welders in the USA; in Europe the numbers are probably 150,000. Every welder can be happy, because they are needed. If the work is less difficult and the health risks are reduced, the job will probably become more attractive. In order to attract young people, the image of welding must be improved.

Thank you very much for the interview.